In the field of television broadcasting, traffic systems are software and/or hardware packages that may be used, among other things, to schedule and sequence VCs intended for broadcast (e.g., over the air). To schedule VCs, a traffic manager may interact with the traffic system to create a traffic log. A traffic log may indicate which VCs are intended to be broadcast during a particular time span, and further may indicate when each VC is intended to be broadcast. A traffic log may include multiple traffic log entries, with each traffic log entry corresponding to one VC and scheduling data for that VC. The traffic log therefore may represent the sequence of VCs intended to be broadcast during the time span. The traffic log may take the form of a table or other data structure.
A traffic system typically communicates with a master control system (MCS), which is the technical hub of a broadcast operation and is the final point before a VC is sent to an air-chain system for broadcast. More specifically, the traffic system typically communicates with an automation system (AS) of the MCS. The AS is the logic center of the MCS and may cause the MCS and/or another entity to perform various functions. Through a communication path, the traffic system may provide the traffic log to the AS, such that the AS may traverse and select traffic log entries according to their corresponding scheduling data. The AS may then cause the MCS and/or another entity to perform certain functions corresponding to each selected traffic log entry. Such functions typically include the MCS retrieving from a data storage the VC corresponding to the traffic log entry, channeling the VC through one or more entities within the MCS (e.g., through one or more switches), and sending the VC to an air-chain system for broadcast.